Coach Erica's Two Minute Tip: Episode 4

ES TMT Episode 3

Coach Erica's Two Minute Tip: Episode 2

Two Minute tip: Eat well and eat enough!

For more health tips follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/EricaSnyder

The doctors don't lie....

If you want to learn how to get a 25% on this phenomenal product visit my site at http://www.myshakeology.com/esnyder81

Four Weeks Crushed!

Well I am back to chat about the last four weeks I have been getting my butt kicked with my new workout Insanity! Honestly it's crazy that I got through it and I can't tell you how many times I thought " I can't do this I'm quitting. It's way too hard!" But with anything that is a real challenge if you don't give up you'll be so glad you stuck it out!  That's how I feel with getting through the first month of this crazy workout. Like I am halfway up Mount Everest and the climb still continues! The amazing part is all the changes you go through everyday! Those small fast twitch muscles that you don't really think about get so strong which helps with speed an agility, you can really notice how much improvement you're making after each workout. Believe me the workouts don't get easier because the stronger you get the more you can do which means you are ALWAYS challenged and NEVER bored! I know I have said this before but I really can't see where you would plateau on this program. The moves are so dynamic and different that your body will always continue changing and getting stronger every day, every month, every year! Plus you are always working your core in every workout so your abs will get SHREDDED! That has to be my favorite part! I have never seen my abs this much but with the combo of the super intense cardio, strength moves and ab building core video your abs will pop like crazy! These last four weeks have really made me aware of my form when doing certain workouts. What I can emphasize is to keep your knees behind your ankles when doing power jumps or anything that requires you to be in a squat position. If not you may be able to get away with it for a while but believe me you'll start feeling it in your knees and other areas and you don't want to risk any kind of serious injury. Listen to Shaun when he tells you how to be safe! This has only been the first month and so much will happen to your body! You will see how much stronger and faster you become and you will love how your legs and abs will look! The genius part of this workout is you don't need dumbells because you use your own body weight to build up those arms and believe me you will gain in your arms and still look lean and mean! You may be wondering "How do I eat for such an intense workout?" That is taken care of for you! It comes with an elite nutrition book to teach you how to eat the first month and how to eat more for the second month. The second month is a beast! The workouts are longer and the moves are challenging. You will definitely need to eat more calories to get through these longer and much more challenging workouts. No you won't gain weight unless you want to, keep in mind the calories in the good food you will be eating provides you with the FUEL that you need so don't let the word calories scare you away :-) I have learned that and really I can tell if I haven't eaten enough before a workout because my body is screaming at me! I get super tired, can barely get through the workout and honestly don't feel that great when I am done. So listen to your body when starting these workouts especially in month two. It may be hard at first but you can do it! If I can anybody can believe me! This week has been the recovery week and man my body has been loving it! The workout that you do is the Core Cardio and Balance. You do some of the moves from the previous workouts but at a slower easier pace so you do build up a sweat but you don't feel super burnt out like you would normally during the regular weeks. This is great if you have been feeling fatigued or like you have really been pounding your body. I am loving this week because it has really gotten me to be more gentle with my body after four weeks of pure hitting it hard and getting myself ready to REALLY hit it hard with the max workouts! I gotta tell you right now I am so nervous but so ready!

These four weeks have definitely been a challenge but definitely worth the challenge. If you know about a challenging workout you want to try DO IT!! Don't be scared and don't think you can't do something because you can! Shut out those negative voices and just go for it! I'll definitely be keeping you up to date on how the second month is going it will be a bigger challenge but I am so ready! Find something to do that you find scary and do it 100%!! You might surprise yourself... :-)

The Skinny on Eating

For a couple of years people have asked me what has helped me stay fit and lose the weight that I had to lose. Well at first I did NOT have this figured out. I was under the spell of the less calories I ate the more I worked out the more weight I would lose right? Right?? Well when I was on this crazy eating and working out regimen I could not figure out why I was so crazy tired and then over time I was putting some of the weight back ON! yeah that's right, with starving my body too much and trying to make it burn more calories I GAINED weight. Why? Because my body could tell it was under attack, I was starving it, so how did it protect itself? It stored fat! That's how the weight gain took place! When you are doing too much in the calorie restricting department then on top of that you are working out trying to make your body burn more than it has to give it does really try to protect itself so it can sustain life and some kind of energy. I mean think about it when you are starving it it is under attack, you are not feeding it enough and asking a lot out of it by working it hard for an hour or so of course it will want to protect itself! For a long time it didn't make sense, well if you eat a lot of calories you'll gain weight right? What had to be hammered in my head as food is fuel not your enemy! Calories mean more than weight gain.  Yes if you eat  a lot of the wrong calories or eat late at night you can gain weight from that behavior but if you are feeding your body calories it needs to get through the day or help you get through that workout then it will make it easier for you to see that you eat for energy and to keep that fire in your body going otherwise known as your metabolism. Another disturbing trend I have noticed is the fascination with being too thin and what lengths people will go to to get that way. You have heard of all these Hollywood diets (Master Cleanse, Macrobiotic diet, Baby food diet, etc) Many of these are CRAZY crash diets that are used because of pressure to be thin, to get ready for a movie role or any other reason they are STARVING themselves with these diets! I have read reviews from doctors on these various diets and they have all agreed that these may work temporarily but once you introduce regular food the weight will be gained back and another reason why the weight will come back on you can't starve and workout at the same time! I am always amazed at how fast some of the actresses or other people that have tried these diets shrink down to nothing but they lose the weight so fast. I think that's what people get caught up in "Lose weight now!" This can be dangerous and you really don't get the chance to learn how to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. This is the key to keeping your metabolism on fire and to continue to see the results from your fitness efforts. The best way to think of this is thinking of your body as a fireplace and how to feed the fire. When you see the fire going but it's starting to fade you feed it more wood right? Well the same thing goes with your body. When you are working on eating better or eating more often think of your body as that fireplace and when it starts to fade a couple of hours after eating it's time to feed it again! That way you have sustained energy, you are constantly burning calories throughout the day and this in turn will have you seeing results from working out or just eating better. Also when you are eating enough calories at the right time you never feel hungry! Some people don't actually get hunger pangs but they can feel their blood sugar drop causing them to feel tired or cranky and this is a big clue from your body to feed it again so it can keep going and meet the demands of the day.

In short: EAT! Food is fuel not your foe. The key is what to eat, when to eat, how much and how often. The rule of thumb I have learned is eat every 2.5 to 3 hours everyday to avoid the slump and to keep up that sustained energy throughout the day. This is very true if you are doing a rigorous fitness routine, you are really going to need that energy to get you through the day and through that workout! A good meal is a great way to recover also. This helps you replace the vitamins and nutrients you may have lost during your workout and this helps in aiding with sore muscles and the after workout fatigue you may experience. Remember: One meal at a time, one day at a time, one workout at a time. You CAN  do it! :-)

Get Fit or Get Out!

So I am now on the second week of Insanity but don't think I blogged about the Pure Cardio DVD. If not it's because that video kicked my butt so bad that my brain wasn't working right. LOL it's  not THAT bad but it's pretty challenging for sure! Well in this DVD you do the regular warm up that is featured in the Plyometric Cardio Circuit DVD and the Cardio Power and Resistance DVD and have your stretch afterwards. What is the biggest difference between this workout and the other ones is you go straight through the workouts with NO break unless you have to take one. With the other circuit workouts you do a three minute circuit then you take a 30 second break. Not with this one! It's straight through for about 20 minutes. Now I know that 20 minutes doesn't sound that bad but with Insanity it feels like you worked out for 90 minutes, that's how much you will sweat! The best part of this DVD and all of the others ones is that the moves are so challenging and many you may have never done before. This is where you will probably never hit a plateau and you will gain so much strength in your fast twitch muscles it will really blow your mind. I had to take a break several times I just did not have a choice, it's NUTS! But again like I have said before when you get through a DVD it's a real accomplishment because yo know you have worked harder than before and you are doing your body such a service it loves you for it! There are a couple things that Shaun says that I love, the first is "Get Fit or Get out People" What I think he means is do the best you can do and push yourself harder than you have ever before, if you are not willing to do that then don't step in the room. That is so true with this workout and any other workout that is very challenging and that will push you beyond your limits. If you just want to get off easy then this isn't for you. When you are trying to lose weight, or any other fitness goals you may have you can't take the easy way out. It just won't work. Constantly skipping a workout or constantly skipping a meal just won't get you the results that you desire, you have to put the effort in to get the results you want out. Another thing that he says that I love is "I'm not trying to hurt you just trying to make you better" This is true. You may think he is trying to kill you (and yes it does feel that way sometimes LOL) but when you are challenged and you accomplish your goal through that challenge that keeps you coming back for more when you are working towards something bigger.  This can seem like a big monster to a lot of people I mean heck it was to me! I NEVER thought I could get fit and love doing it at the same time but I do! You can feel the same way too! With any challenge and it doesn't have to be Insanity when that challenge is overcome your confidence goes through the roof. Whether it's public speaking, teaching a class, overcoming your fear of heights when you break through those mental walls that feeling is indescribable!  This was a challenge for me to take on because when the workout first came out I was literally too scared to do it. I thought it would be too hard but I  knew in the back of my mind that I needed a bigger challenge to continue getting results and to continue feeling healthy and fit. Believe me this challenge fits the bill for sure! You have to get out of your head about it and just show up, that is what doing Insanity has taught me. Do the best you can, it's not about keeping up with the people in the videos or being competitive it's about doing what YOU  can do and trying to get better and stronger everytime you come back to it. So if you are ready you CAN do it! GET FIT OR GET OUT!!

The Insanity Continues

So yesterday was Cardio strength and resistance. I thought Plyometric Cardio Circuit was crazy  but this was bananas too! What this DVD focused on was upper body strength and speed. There are a lot of push ups, tricep dips and sprinting! The warm up again kicked my butt and I love how the warm up starts the sweat dripping down and after you are done you get a good stretch in. This allows you to prevent injury and gives you a few minutes of mentally preparing for what is coming next. I was reading in my Insanity materials and a lot of the moves that Shaun T introduces came right from his track and field training when he was in college. No wonder he's in such great shape! So of course the warm up killed me I just knew that I was in for a massacre when the actual workout got started. I am not trying to scare you away from this workout but dang it is hard and it is INTENSE! I love the feeling that I am being challenged so much that I know I will never plateau doing this workout. See the better and stronger you get the more you can do and the harder it can be because you do so many more reps than you had in the beginning. That's what makes Insanity so brilliant and one of those workouts that you can do for years to come and still get great results as if you had just started on the first day. With these two workouts out of the way I am looking forward to doing the fit test in another couple weeks to see where I have improved and where I could still use some work. I am sure with two weeks out of the way I will see great improvement from the first day! The one move in this workout that blew my mind was the very last drill. You had to do eight jump squats then get down on the ground and do eight push ups right after! Now by the time you get to this move you are SPENT! This is after you've done power jumps, hurdles, v-pushups, tricep dips, tricep dips with each leg in the air, pure CRAZINESS! So when you try to eek out eight squats and push ups right after I mean you have nothing left and you begin to understand the comparison of feeling like you are climbing mount everest when you are taking on this Insanity challenge. It's one of those workouts where you feel so super accomplished when you are done because the moves are super challenging  but if you never press pause and never give up you will be so proud of yourself and actually look forward to the next workout to see what you can do and how you can get past those mental walls that tell you it's too hard or you can't do anymore reps. Just know with all that hard work and you are thinking that Shaun T is OUT of his mind there is a method to the madness.With crazy workouts like that you have NO choice but to get in shape! Follow the eating, eat enough and eat often, do the workouts and you are on your way to a healthier stronger leaner body!

Today is cardio recovery day which will be a welcomed day since the first two or first three if you want to count the fit test has been crazy! Today it will be working on deep muscle work and stretching which is what the body needs to help it recover! If you are thinking of doing Insanity DO IT! You can! It's all about breaking down those walls and pushing past your limits which gives the greatest sense of achievement. Never say I can't!

DIG DEEPER!

Man oh man oh man! Today was day 1 of the Insanity adventure. I had been thinking about doing this workout for months and months and to be honest with you I was pretty scared to try it. Now in the past I had done P90X, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Fire and ChaLean Extreme. All challenging workouts but WOW Insanity knocked my socks off! What Insanity is is a 60 day INTENSE cardio conditioning program that will have you shredded without the use of weights, just your own body weight does enough and challenging yet effective workouts that will get you results that you have been working for! What you could do in a year is done in 60 days with this program. That's how intense it is! Before I had started my first day I had watched all of the DVD's to see what I was getting myself into. Now the people that are doing these workouts are in great shape and in fact they had been in the test groups before Insanity was released. Needless to say these people are all in phenomenal shape! They had done the 60 days and they all looked great. What blew my mind while watching these DVD's is the fact that people had done this workout got great results and they STILL could not get through the whole workout. That's right, they had to take breaks during each circuit because they were getting so tired. That made me crazy nervous! I mean not to toot my own horn but I have been involved in fitness for a couple years now and thought I was in pretty good shape but seeing these machines gas out was crazy!  I really loved Shaun T's attitude of being right there with you and he kept saying over and over "dig deep!!" He is so right about that. you have to really get out of your mind and not tell yourself that you can't do it or it's too hard. Of course it's hard and no one is expecting you to blast through it the first time but what Shaun T is saying is give it your all and do your best and you will get there! You will get the results you want! I swear hearing him telling me to dig deeper was the only thing that got me through!

Day 1 was the Fit test. What this entail is a series  of exercises that are featured in the workout. He has  set of 8 things that you do for 1 minute and on your card that helps you keep track of how many that you do. Tania and another Insanity graduate are in the video doing the fit test also and they are keep track of their results since they have finished the program and they both improved greatly so I am excited about where this will take me when the 60 days are over! This DVD is about 25 minutes long and even though it was the fit test it had me sweating pretty good if that gives you an idea of what kind of workout this is...

Plyometric Cardio Circuit: This was the workout I did today and man I did not think I was going to make it.. I am not trying to scare you from this workout but it is TOUGH. When you are done and you are dripping with crazy sweat you can wear that like a badge of honor! All that sweat will tell you how hard you have been working and and your body will thank you! Each circuit was three minutes long with a 30 second break enough of a break to get water and to prepare for what is coming next. 30 seconds is not very long but when you get through those 3 minute drills that 30 seconds feels like a vacation! Also with this workout and all workouts that are very challenging take a break when you need one. Listen to your body and give it a rest when you need then jump back in! Believe me I was taking all kinds of breaks and I'm glad I did so I didn't hurt myself or make myself sick from working out too hard.

Get out of your head about it! You can do ANYTHING! Remember what Shaun T says: DIG DEEPER!!!

A change is possible! You CAN do it!!

Turbo FIre Get on it!

The hottest new workout is here! Contact me about a 25% discount! http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esnyder81

Stay Accountable!

Well it has been a while since I've been on here but things have been whirl wind crazy! Even though the schedule has been challenging and drives me out of my mind sometimes it is worth it and for those of you who are asking no I have not been skimping on the workouts. That is one thing that keeps me on track, relaxed and focused on what I need to do. What helps me in my accountability? Working out with my husband! I am sure I have shared this with you before but my husband and I put together a workout/meal plan together that has really been getting us great results! I had reached a major plateau in my fitness journey and my husband wanted to get back to working out like he used to so we decided to switch things up. Yes you have to do that if you want to keep seeing results that keep your body happy! For a long time I was sticking to the same thing for cardio because I am a Turbo Fanatic! I am not saying that this isn't a great workout because believe me you burn a ton of calories and fat! But in order to keep it coming with your body especially when you get in better shape, you have to keep challenging yourself and keep your body guessing. Along with switching up the workouts you have to make sure you are eating ENOUGH CALORIES. I hear so many people freak out when they hear the word calories. That's because they associate calories with weight gain and not with energy. Yes there are times where you can eat too many calories and start to slowly put on weight that you don't want. But that comes down to knowing how to eat for ENERGY instead of eating for the sake of eating. Sure treat yourself once in a while, you work hard so have that meal you have been craving whether it's dessert or something sort of greasy LOL. But if you want to see the results you have been working so hard for then being diligent with your nutrition and fitness routine is the only way to accomplish this.

Staying accountable is the number one way to achieve any one of your goals. Whether it's building your own business, checking items off your to-do list or getting fit making goals and sticking with them will make any task doable and not so mundane. Get a fitness buddy! Find someone that you have a common bond with when it comes to fitness and help each other stay on track. Now this doesn't mean being the food police when you guys go out to eat but just help each other and lead by example! You may be tempted to eat that junky meal but help each other keep in mind how much better you will feel when you make the healthier choice! If you have a spouse or significant other that is into fitness this will make it worlds easier to stick to your healthier life style and have someone to run, walk or lift weights with. Push each other! Don't try to hurt the other person but you know what you are capable and what the other person is capable so push them! Go farther, go harder, lift heavier! You CAN do this!!

Set goals, accomplish them, achieve them! Remember: One day at a time, one meal at a time, one pound at a time, one workout at a time....

Three Spectrums to Fitness

So in this journey I have been taking with fitness I have found that there are three spectrums of it that people can be faced with. One isn't bad but the other two may not be seen as so favorable. The first facet is beginning the fitness journey. You may not be happy about where you are at, you haven't worked out in a long time, put on some weight and are feeling hopeless. The second is you finally took that step to starting an exercise and eating program and you find that you like it. The first couple of weeks are tough and it's a major change but you can start to feel the difference of eating better and liking your workouts which you stick to for a long time. Then the one that I think is most dreaded is the phenomenon of a plateau. This is where your body literally gets used to what you have been doing as far as eating and exercising and the results quit coming. You may not lose anymore weight even though you sweat buckets during your workouts. You eat good, stay away from the sweets and fried foods but this still doesn't seem to be making a difference. This can be a NIGHTMARE but it does happen and it happens to the best of us.

I went through all three and the plateau happened to me recently and it was a real wake up call! It taught me that you have to pay attention to switching up your workouts and making sure you are getting enough calories to justify your workouts. If you are doing too much calorie restricting but still keeping up with the high intensity cardio and weight training your body will go into defense mode because it thinks it is starving. Now this doesn't mean I was starving myself on purpose but I fell into trap of "I eat all the time so I'm good" but the trick here how much are you eating? Do you get enough calories in a day to prevent your body from doing the opposite of what you want it do to? I wasn't doing that :-( A part of me felt like a fraud because I try to help people stay fit and give them advice on how to keep their metabolism going by eating right and exercising and I wasn't getting enough calories in the day to even keep my own metabolism on fire, ouch... The general rule of thumb for women is if you are getting under 1200 calories a day you can bet on that your body will slow down and protect itself from the starvation it thinks it's under. Not eating enough calories a day is just as bad as over eating, both will do the same: cause you to gain weight. Doesn't seem to make sense? A lot of people fall under the assumption that if they don't eat and don't consume calories then how can they gain weight? Well think of your body as a fireplace with a slow burning fire (your metabolism) and what keeps the fire going? The wood (food) so in order to keep this fire burning think of eating the right foods, at the right times, and the right amounts as the wood you need to keep the fireplace burning. Now this doesn't mean you can just eat what you want and pig out because eating the wrong foods with sugars that don't break down very easy and they can be stored in your fat stores, and this can be hard to get rid of. But even if you are eating good foods you can still over do it. For active women it's good to try and consume between 1200 and 1700 calories a day. This is good when you are doing cardio and weights and it may seem like a lot to eat in one day but you need the energy to get through your workouts no matter how intense or long they are. Food is fuel, food is your friend! Some clues that your body will give you that you are not eating enough are: being over tired after workouts, you seem to be gaining weight even though you are eating good and and exercising, not being as hungry as often (this can be a big clue that your metabolism is starting to slow down) if you are feeling this way then take a look at what you are eating, how often and how much. If necessary make the adjustments to increase your calories and make sure you are getting enough proteins, good carbs and good fats in your diets. Don't worry carbs and fats are nothing to be scared of if you are eating the right kind and eating the right amounts. I do have to admit that seeing I had hit a plateau and gained some weight back was a HUGE ego bruise for me. I thought I had it all figured out and that I was plateau proof because I do high intensity workouts, I make sure I hit the weights and eat good. But that's where I got tricked by my "know it all" confidence, you may be eating good foods but you are not getting nearly enough as you need to really fuel your body. Don't get caught up in you think you have it all figured out, write down what you are eating and pay attention to your body. If you are feeling that your energy is way too depleted or you can't seem to explained those freaky pounds you are gaining chances are you got bit by the plateau bug. Switch up your routine and change your eating then you will be able to see the changes come back to your body and your hard work pay off.

The first two facets I mentioned especially the beginning of the workout routine I think can be the hardest. It's like you know you need to get more active and take control of your health but you just don't know what to do. I feel into this trap a million times and it made me feel helpless because I thought I would never get the extra 50lbs off my body. I would either get bored, feel embarrassed to go to the gym or just get lazy and figure " I'm not going to lose this weight anyways so what's the diff?" Don't fall for that! Don't talk yourself out of it! Find something that you like to do and stick with it! Whether it's turbo jam, turbo fire, P90X or your own routine in the gym, stick with it! You will be so happy you did and determination ALWAYS pays off. Keep those negative voices out of your head, keep focus and I'm telling you now you will be able to move mountains, or make your body move in ways you never thought possible! I had so many negative things in my head when I started on this journey it's not even funny. Like I said before the biggest doubt I had was whether or not I could even lose the weight. I thought I was stuck forever with this weight and this was the new me. 50lbs overweight, unhealthy and unhappy, I was getting ready to settle into this new miserable life of mine when I found a workout that spoke to me and I knew it would give me the results I wanted and it was no fail! The nutrition was there and everything so that got me started and three years later I haven't looked back. If you are struggling with getting fit, getting started or sticking with it I can always help you or go on a soul searching quest and see what fits you. What kind of cardio do you like? Do you like to lift weights? The weights questions will have to turn into a yes because this is a huge part of burning off the fat and getting lean and mean!

Now that I'm done blabbing, the bottom line is stay focused, write down what you're eating and put together a solid food plan. There are many resources to help you put one together (websites, Oxygen Magazine, Facebook groups) and stick to this like it's your job! Once you have these set in stone you are ready to go and do not deviate! It sounds strict but you will see the results and you will not look back at your old self. One day at a time, one pound at a time and one workout at a time and you will get there...

Yours in Wellness...

Benefits of exercise

What's Holding You Back?

Setting and achieving your goals is a total mental game. You really have to be focused and write down what you want to accomplish and when. I have heard so many times before that if you write it down it becomes real and to be honest I really never bought into this. But I had this nagging feeling in the back of my head "just write down what you want to do and do it!" I finally stopped being stubborn and listened! This is a magic pill or formula but when you see your goals in front of you it does help keep you accountable if you are starting at it on a daily basis. But there can be a hold back, what is that? Is it a mental block? Fear? Procrastination? With me it all of the above, especially the fear part. I felt if I tried to do something out of my comfort zone I wouldn't be good at it and I would automatically fail at it. This fear still plagues me today, I am thinking of becoming a fitness instructor and also really trying to take off with starting a health and fitness biz to really help others get in shape and take control of their nutrition. This is a real passion of mine and with it being a passion and I am still apprehensive about failure, no one will pay attention, no one will take me seriously and so on and so on... Yes I can be very self defeating and it's a terrible habit that I have to start over coming. Then I had a conversation with myself, I thought if this is a passion and I honestly LOVE helping people then why would I fail? There's no reason to! The same goes for you, if you have a goal no matter what it is and it excites you then there is no room for failure. You really have to do what makes you happy and excited and by looking forward to your "job" a) it won't feel like work and b) you can shoot for the moon and achieve anything and everything you want. Another issue in what could be holding people back are the naysayers, the ones that may think what you do is weird, they don't support it or any other negative feedback. This can come from friends and even family! This may be hard to do but you just have to ignore that and keep pushing on. When the negative Nancy's try to sway you in a different direction, this is a real opportunity for you to keep your eyes on the prize and really let your light shine. By letting your light shine I don't mean bragging or putting others down but just do what you do best and really let your joy shine through. The key is WRITE IT DOWN! Make it real for you and others around you! Tell others what you want to do, what your goals and passions are then get to work! One day at a time and one goal accomplishment at a time is the best feeling in the world and the sense of accomplishment you will get will set you on fire and you will be unstoppable!

So what's holding you back? On your health goals? On your new endeavors in education? On making a change? Once you identify what you want to do and what you have to do to get there, then it's in your hands to make it happen and love every step of the way :-) Get in the right frame of mind and NOTHING can hold you back. You can do this!

Yours in wellness...

Dining out tips

Continuing the Turbo Fire Journey

Well I got my butt kicked once again but doing Turbo Fire! Man I was beat but I'm glad I did it! I have been getting up at around 6 or 7 am to get these workouts done so I can fit in yoga later in the evening and also to get a pep in my step for the day! It has done wonders! Some days I am tired and I drag for a while but I think being self employed in more than one business is hard and can be tiring, but well worth it! People think I'm crazy for actually getting up to exercise, I have gotten the question "don't you feel more tired after an early morning workout?" HECK NO! I have more energy that way! Yes I used to workout after work and I loved it but waiting all day after work would leave me more tempted to skip those workouts then I would be mad at myself because I knew I could've just gotten up early and gotten it done. now I am pushing myself to have that mental discipline to get up and get the job done! I don't regret it and I am more able to get my fitness routine done all the time!

Enough about that so I am in week 2 of Turbo Fire and man I can see where doing this kind of cardio conditioning you can really get into some crazy shape! So far I have done the HIIT 15 twice and then last week was my first taste of HIIT 20! Yes that's right 20 minutes of a HIIT workout. When I first put the DVD in the player I was scared LOL. I was thinking " Can I really get through 20 minutes of this?" This is where your mind can take over and tell you that something like this would be too hard, but you have to TELL yourself that you have the energy and you can do this. A big part of where your energy comes from is in your mind! It's not just totally what you're physically capable of but what kind of voice you choose to talk to yourself in. You can talk to yourself in the positive voice or in the negative voice, it's up to you but one is better than the other obviously! :-) So I really had to talk to myself in that positive voice and you know what? It worked! I mean there were times where I didn't think I could get through it and if I had to to one more drill I was going to keel over but I really felt the sweat coming down and that is one thing I am addicted to is that sweat! Sounds gross I know.. But it's true, to me that's the stamp that you are working hard and your body is loving you for it! So each drill you to do twice then there is one that you do three times. In between each drill she shows you the choreography and tells you what is coming up. Then you get yourself pysched for the drill and it's ON!! The music gets you hyped and you see everyone in class going crazy so of course you go crazy! It's only for one minute so mentally it can feel easier to push yourself but you have to do the drill again so you have to get pumped again! Of course the drill that you have to do three times is the BEAST!! Man this is touuuugh! But it's one of those things when you get through it and you do all three you give yourself a huge pat on the back because YOU DID IT! This is proof that you set your mind to anything and you can get it done! Turbo Fire is not only an awesome physical workout it's a mental workout and you really learn how to push yourself in both ways and feel like a champ when the job is done!

I also got my first taste of the Sculpt 30 video. I liked it and was pleasantly surprised at how challenging it was also! I guess I was feeling kinda cocky because I had done a couple rounds of ChaLean Extreme and was starting to incorporate it into the Turbo Fire workouts. Man my muscle endurance wasn't as great as I thought! I have the strength but my endurance can use some work and sculpt 30 will get that job done too! You work your total body in this one with the resistance bands you can get with the program. Everyone uses the light pink resistance bands in class and this is decent resistance for sure! Especially if you are new to it and you have never done that video before it's a good way to learn and I can see sticking with that band for a long time. How the exercises are done is a challenge and the best part is when you get on the floor to do some abs and pushups! I wont' give too much away but that's my fave part!

Of course what keeps me energized is my Formulas 1,2&3! I know I keep going on and on about it but I love it! This stuff is the best and it's a great way to get your healthy meals in and bring your body back to normal after a tough workout! It's great for a quick breakfast, lunch or snack and it has all the vitamins and nutrients you will need to get through busy days when time is tight! Once you get on a program that has you feeling like a million bucks you won't want to stop! When the eating is dialed in and the working out is dialed in you are ready to take on the world! Just remember one day at a time, one pound at a time and one workout at a time and you will get there! I promise :-)

Yours in Wellness....

12 WEEK ONLINE WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE!

Click on the pic to learn details of the two tentative dates for the amazing weight loss challenge! Learn how to eat better, how to eat in general and make new friends! Getting healthier has done wonders for my life and now I want to pay it forward and help you! Email me for details or questions! I can't wait to go on this journey with you!

Days 2 and 3 of Turbo Fire!

Man oh man have I been getting my butt kicked! Well day 2 of Turbo Fire consisted of HIIT (high intensity interval training) for 15 minutes. This may sound innocent because it's only 15 minutes long but if you are short on time and you need a quick and effective calorie burn, this is your workout! With this the HIIT's are Fire drills that are about a minute each and they include plyometric moves, burpees (which I hate LOL) and high powered traditional turbo fire/turbo jam moves. Chalene starts off by showing you what the choreography is going to be so you know what to do at a higher intensity. Looks easy enough and then you can fall into a trap of being kinda cocky thinking "oh I got this" well the you hear the fire siren and then you know it's time to go! You have to give it all you got and with all the jumping and powerful moves that's where the calories start to get incinerated! For this workout there are only three drills but you do them all three times each. At the beginning of the workout you have all this energy but then you see how intense it is then you know you have to do the moves two more times and that's where you have to have a conversation with yourself to push yourself hard to get thorough it! Of course with the drills there is still awesome music to get you pumped and it actually helps to get you over that hump of "I can't do this" You can! Don't push yourself too hard and hurt yourself just do what you can and each time you do the workout you get stronger and stronger and that's a huge sense of accomplishment! She tells the class that each time you do a HIIT your other cardio workouts get easier and man I believe her! I think with how sweaty I was and spent I was I burned more calories in 15 minutes than I would've in a 30 min or even a 45 minute workout! Yes it's that intense, but just know it's 15 minutes and you can crush it! The scary part is there are HIIT workouts within Turbo Fire that are 20 minutes, 25 minutes and even 30 minutes. Sounds scary right? I'll let you know how THAT goes..

This morning was the Fire 55 EZ which yes that means 55 minutes of Turbo Fire! So you want to talk about a crazy calorie burn? Man I didn't think it was possible to sweat that much but of course it is! Again what kept me going in this workout was the music! Chalene is a GENIUS of choosing music that she knows will get you pumped and make you push through no matter how tired you are and believe me several times through the workout I got pretty darn tired! The music that is featured in this workout is Push it by Salt-N-Pepa and other great oldies but goodies that were mixed to make you move and have an awesome time! What I love about these workouts and past turbo jam workouts is that you feel like you're at a party! The cast is awesome and the music just pushes it over that edge that can make you feel bored with other workouts. I have done other workouts that are home based and that were great workouts but man that music they chose is so BORING. You get to the point where you feel if you hear that boring track one more time you may lose your mind! The Turbo Series has solved this problem and I have now found my workout soulmate! That is the key with any workout is you have to find what speaks to you and what you know you will stick with. The key with me is different moves that are going to be super effective and music that will keep you pumped for days after you are done with the workout!

This is what gets me excited about fitness, sharing it with others and hopefully getting them excited enough to want to change their bodies while they are changing their lives at the same time. You can have fun at fitness, I promise! It's not about being super skinny, looking like a model that is clearly airbrushed or something that you are not. It's about being the best YOU can be and that's all that matters! Just remember being fit is being HEALTHY, not starving yourself so you are so skinny and emaciated that you need to be hospitalized. So many people fall into the trap of you have to be too thin in order to be considered "fit" NOT TRUE! Have fun, be healthy and you don't have to be a size 2 be a size YOU :-)

Yours in Wellness..

Day 1 of Turbo FIre

Well my long wait for Turbo Fire to come in the mail was finally ended yesterday when the UPS man dropped off that magical package at my door. It really didn't take that long but it felt like it LOL. So by the time it came in the mail I had to go to yoga class but I was planning on viewing the DVD"s after I got home. I couldn't get home, take a shower, or eat dinner fast enough because I wanted to see what I was getting myself into! I had seen the previews, looked at other Facebook posts of people that had gotten Turbo Fire before me and they were all saying how much of a sweat fest it is and how much fun it is! I was on the edge of my seat waiting! Well I get home from yoga eat my dinner and I finally have a chance to view the DVD's. I viewed the Fire 30 class first because that was going to be my first workout in the new program. Of course it LOOKS easy I mean hey I've done Turbo Jam, Turbo Kick and I considered myself pretty advanced in those programs, in pretty good shape so I wasn't really worried about it I was excited! Everyone is having a blast in the video the sweat is dripping off them and they are going hard core the whole time! Not one person was slacking so I knew that I had to bring it in the morning! Well I get up this morning, schedule my workout in WOWY and get ready to roll. From the jump you can tel it's very fast paced and your were gonna burn some major calories! The warm up which is usually at a pretty moderate pace in other Chalene Johnson workouts was fast and I was getting warm quick so I knew "uh oh maybe I'm in trouble here!" But in a good way of course :-) So we get started and man my heart was pounding from the very beginning! Of course in the beginning of every workout you have all this energy and you give it all you got and you just go crazy which is exactly what I did. The combos are so much fun, they are of course the traditional Turbo Jam/ Turbo Kick combos if you are familiar with those workouts, if not you need to buy them NOW!! They are crazy fun and an awesome calorie blast! So the first Fire drill comes up and I'm already dying! I'm getting through the fire drill pretty good then here comes the Sumo Burpees and I have to be honest with you, I HATE these things, which means they are are a great technique and really give your body a workout. What I hate about them is the jumping back, jumping up and they are just HARD! I tried one but then I had to modify the rest of them cause I just didn't have it in me. Then we did another section of fast and hard cardio and guess what? You have ANOTHER Fire drill! But it's the same choreography as the first one which is enough believe me! I like that because you know what's coming and that way you really can get good at it and build your stamina faster with these challenging fire drills. Then the finale comes and man this is the BOMB! If you have a chance to have the music up loud in your house without disturbing your neighbors :-) You will go ALL OUT no matter how tired you are! The music is the key and this is where Chalene Johnson is brilliant because she knows music is what keeps you going and what keeps you giving more in each workout! I love the moves in the finale, they are fun and they burn crazy calories, especially the round house high low punch combo. Man that had me dying! Well the whole thing did actually! So you do the moves on the right side then the left side then you are DONE!!! Man that workout is only 30 minutes but you sweat and pant like you've done a whole hour of turbo it's AWESOME! There are workouts that are longer and shorter so no matter what time constraints you may have you have NO EXCUSES! If you just have 15 minutes you can get a crazy sweat and get on with your day! Tomorrow is HIIT (high intensity interval training) and a stretch vid. Then I think I'll add some ChaLean Extreme Burn circuit 2 to the mix! I know that sounds crazy but I'm one for intense workouts ;-) I'll let you know how day two goes!

Yours in wellness...

12 Weeks to a New You!

Become the latest Biggest Loser! I am proud to announce I am getting ready for a 12 week weight loss challenge! More details to come and get ready for a new you!

How's Your Herbalife?

So it's Monday and this day can usually be a drag for a lot of us. We're coming off the weekend, maybe too used to sleeping in now we have to face five days of being productive responsible adults right? What's the hardest part about this for you? Is it getting up early five days a week? Being productive all day? Losing the concentration later in the afternoon? All of these can be a huge challenge especially if we are not getting the nutrition we need on a daily basis. So many of us start the day with coffee and a donut, or some sugary cereal or something else that will leave us crashing early then we are addicted to coffee for the rest of the day and the week. Don't get me wrong I was right there too, whatever work was offering for breakfast I would eat it, especially those sugary gross donuts! But man I used to love those things... So changing that habit can be hard and sometimes hearing about eating better and healthier can sound really boring and make none of us want to have anything to do with it. But it can be fun and it can be something you look forward to! Look I'm not trying to pretend to be excited about something that I detest, it's all about finding your nutrition and exercise "soulmates" something that really speaks to you and that you want to do on a daily basis. You know what does it for me? I just feel better everyday, I have more energy and my mood is awesome all the time! Who wants to have up and down moods? Or no energy and you have to suffer through the day? Not me! That's what really made me get off my butt and decided that I'm going to eat better and exercise and not look back. Yes it is something you have to set your mind to but man once you make that change you will never look back!

What did it for me was discovering Herbalife and exercise. That combination is a power house for more energy! Just the better eating alone I feel awesome and I have energy to get through the day without jittery caffeinated products or something that will give me temporary energy then have me in a tail spin crash for the rest of the day. That is the WORST! But seriously getting better on your eating is HUGE! Maybe bigger than exercising (even though you should do it) because if you eat a bunch of crap the exercise just doesn't matter! I mean what's the point of burning off all those calories, working so hard just to put it back on when you decide to eat that pizza or drink all that alcohol? I tried the same thing when I was younger and partying, go to the gym after class then go have a bazillion beers on the weekends and wondering why I wasn't losing weight. It just doesn't work, SORRY! So back to what I was saying, you are what you eat and you are going to feel what you eat. If you are on top of it and concentrating on putting only good things in your body, your body will thank you and you can buy yourself a lot of extra lifetime too ;-) I've mentioned before about the core nutrition I started taking and I still use it to this day, I LOVE IT!!! Just Formula 1,2,&3 and you will feel it almost immediately! Your energy will be better, you will think better and just over all feel better because you are giving your body what it needs so it can perform at a better rate than ever. Look this Core Nutrition has been an Herbalife staple for 30 years so somebody is buying it and loving it and I'm right there with them! Once you start feeling amazing from the good eating and you incorporate the fitness you will be on FIYAH!! Nothing will stop you and then your energy will be contagious and people will want to know what you're doing ;-)

So it's been two months since I've been on the Herbalife train and I'm feeling better than ever! I'm excited that I have finally found a nutrition regimen that makes me feel better than ever and I'm happy to share it with my family and friends! Whatever you choose to get your body in better shape you will not regret it!
Yours in wellness....

Explosive biz for personal trainers!

Get on a better team!

So how would you rate the crowd you hang out with? Do you think they are supportive and lift you up? Do you do the same for them? How about you give more than they give? Well we all go through this where maybe at a certain time in our life we really have to evaluate the people we spend our time with and who can potentially influence us. This really can happen as you go through life and meet other people such as in college, jobs, the gym or any other place where it's possible to meet new friends. You have a chance to see what it's like to spend time with different people and those that you may have more in common with than the people that you had been spending time with before. This is not saying anything against your first group of friends but as you change as a person then company you keep can change as well. I have gone and still going through this and it hasn't been easy but it has been eye opening. Of course who you may have hung out with in high school may not be your same circle of friends in college and beyond and it's ok! Sometimes our old friends have a hard time with this transition and can give you a pretty hard time about it but you just have to know who you are as a person and who you want to associate with and invest your time and energy with. If the previous group you spent time with was always negative, putting down your goals, sabotaging you or anything like that then you meet people that you have more in common with, are super supportive and just all around a better team. You naturally will be drawn to people that you know will lift you up and be there when the chips are down. I have been around the people that try to sabotage me, negative all the time and just really becoming toxic and I had to make a tough decision. Do I keep putting myself through this or do I start opening myself up for new friendships and relationships? Well I finally opened myself up and I couldn't be happier! This may sound harsh or cruel but no one said that you had to be friends with your old croonies forever and there is no law stating this either. I know plenty of people that have had the same friends their whole life and they have grown and evolved together and that's great! Some have changed who they are and their friends changed with them and this is awesome too!

You are not obligated to stay in a crowd that you are not benefiting from or getting a really healthy supportive friendship from. It's not good for you mentally or physically to be around people that are negative, put you down, put down your goals, gossip all the time or any other energy draining activities. Get on a better team! Be honest with yourself and who you are and you will attract those positive folks in your life! These people will be lifelong friends that lift you up, are there when the chips are down and a great influence on your life! Remember be honest with yourself and who you are, that is all that matters!! Until Next Time...

Yours in Wellness.....

Snacking Can Be the Devil

So do you find yourself mindlessly snacking? When does it occur for you? On the phone? Watching tv? Just bored? I can get that way too and believe me it may seem harmless because it's a "snack" but what are you eating? Is it really junk food? Come on be honest :-) In order to get great results with eating healthier either for the sake of weight loss or just to make better choices, we have to be honest with ourselves. We have to be honest about how much we eat, what we eat, what time, and how often. These are huge factors that can make or break a healthy diet plan or a better eating endeavor. I used to lie to myself for years! Oh well this is just a snack, or this isn't much but before you know it you've eaten a whole bag of chips, a whole box of crackers or made a meal out of a bag of candy! This happens to all of us and let me tell you it can really blow your work at eating good and eating correct portions. For a long time I never understood why I would overeat, and for a long time I never had to think about it until I got out of my teenage years then my body really made me pay attention! I would actually put on weight and couldn't get it off! Then the puzzle began for me, I would think "well I'm trying to make better decisions" but I had no clue on how often to eat, how much and the dreaded snacking. This was and still is my biggest nemesis when it comes to eating right and avoiding temptation. The worst time for me is when I'm on the run, working outside of my house and I forget to bring something healthy to snack on. That's the trouble and it just goes down hill from there. You can let yourself get so hungry that you will kill someone to eat ANYTHING and that's where the bad decisions come in and the extra calories creep up in your diet. Believe me you may tell yourself it's just once in a while but those calories can really add up and stay with you for a long time. A huge way to combat this is BE PREPARED! If you know you are going to be on the road for a while, run a bunch of errands then bring a cooler or a bag of almonds so that when your stomach starts talking to you you can be ready. It's a huge difference eating almonds instead of that sugary gross candy bar or anything else that just won't do your body good.

Another way to combat this is with Snack Defense. Now you may be thinking "eh it's full of caffeine I bet" But it's not! It works WITH your body so you don't even want those sugary snacks because it helps already normal blood sugar levels stay even so you are more able to make smart healthy decisions when you are having your in between meal snack. How many health supplements out there do you know that can do that? Along with it helping your normal blood sugar stay normal it's also a healthy source of chromium which is a supplement that not a lot of people think that they need and don't realize that they may be deficient in this supplement. When people consume too many carbohydrates , your body can experience a sudden increase of insulin and blood sugar levels which can cause the body to store fat. Snack Defense contains Gymnema and this can help decrease the absorption of glucose in the body and Chromium helps insulin perform its function, by allowing for better cell-absorption of glucose in the body. These two ingredients really help your body handle the sugar from your meals therefore helping your body perform at its best and prevent it from turning all that sugar into fat. For adults you can take this twice a day and you are on your way to resisting those nasty snacks and taking awesome care of your body overall!

So first and foremost always be prepared, with a good healthy snack to go and Snack Defense to get you over the hump and help your body's insulin do what it is meant to do.With these two things you can resist that little snacking devil :-) Also eat enough, eat often and eat good all the time and you will enjoy good health and fitness for many years to come! Until next time...

Yours in wellness....

Why Should You Take Care of Yourself?

Recently my Aunt Inez has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It seems like she caught it in time but the fact that she got diagnosed with it is pretty frightening. Even though it was early she still has to go through chemotherapy, radiation and just had her last surgery which hopefully will take care of the last of the cancer. She never had any habits that would make you think she would get cancer one day like smoking, drinking or eating bad but there was one thing that she did that drove most of my family nuts. After she was done raising her kids she did NOTHING. Her days were watching soap operas and having her husband take her everywhere she needed to go because she never got her driver's license, she was too scared to learn how to drive. So basically twenty or more years after she was done raising kids and taking care of other people she stopped moving, did nothing all day and all night tv is/was her main activity which she does not want to give up. I'm not saying that sitting around all day and cleaning sometimes will give you cancer but the inactivity and marginal eating habits does not help. I mean a walk a day or some other activity would've done wonders for her, make her body stronger so she would be more able to fight the cancer and not be so weakened from the treatments. She's doing well thank goodness but with this last round of surgeries I kept thinking to myself "was there something she could have done when she was younger to prevent all this?" I mean there are many of us that have all these illnesses in our families and we are just genetically predisposed to getting them. But even with that that should not make us not want to take care of ourselves, be more active, eat better and make sure we have a long quality of life for as long as possible. I really hope that people close to me or that read my blog posts don't think that I'm preaching I just hope they really learn and understand the importance of taking care of their bodies because the consequences are not pretty. My father is suffering the consequences of not taking care of himself because now he struggles with diabetes, high blood pressure and all the joys with checking your blood sugar and making sure you eat on time. Believe me it's a pain and he hates it. There was a time that he tried to skip doing this and go back to his old habits of drinking and he had a seizure that showed the same symptoms of a stroke and that wasn't pretty either. Luckily his body was strong enough to come back but there could be that one fine day that he doesn't, especially if he tries to ignore the doctor and do what he wants to do when he wants to do it.

So how can this be done? What exactly can you do to better your health and quality of life? Well first off if you are stuck in a bad habit such as smoking, drinking, overeating, eating the wrong foods or anything along that path you have to ween yourself off these habits one day at a time. Especially with the smoking and drinking. When we're young and maybe going through a partying phase all we may do is smoke, drink, go to the bar, eat that fourth meal at Taco Bell and not think a thing of it. We're like "Hey I'm young and having fun" but believe me complications from eating and living like this will sneak up on you quicker than you would like. Just as a personal example I did the smoking and drinking thing for years and for years I didn't care. I never saw the physical results I might have been feeling them sometimes but of course this got ignored. After some time though the weight started piling on and I began to get those lectures from my doctor about my high blood pressure, high chloesterol risk for diabetes and I was considered obese!! I was only 26 hearing all this! I'm telling you hearing a death sentence is no walk in the park no matter what age you are or how invincible you think you are. After hearing my doctor say these words my mind did a 180 turn and I have never looked back. I mean look, when you are active with exercise, eating well and overall healthy habits you FEEL better, you have more energy and your outlook on life has a way more positive result. It has been said and proven that doing 30 minutes of cardio or any other workout will help with depression, I mean exercise and good nutrition can be a natural anti-depressant!

Knowing that people beat the crap out of their bodies with bad habits really does keep me up at night and sometimes you can say it until you're blue in the face but you have to be ready to give up habits and make a change and I totally get that it's hard but remember anything that is worth it and has a great payoff is never easy, just DON'T GIVE UP! I guess my rant today is about taking care of yourself for yourself and others. Your family and friends love you and of course want you around for a million years :-) If you find it hard getting motivated just keep this in mind: One day at a time, one pound at a time, one workout at a time and you will get there! Until next time..

Yours in Wellness...

The Power of Positive Thinking

So for years now I have been hearing about the power of your mind, change your thinking and your perception is your reality. I really had no idea what this all meant and I would always think " yeah ok weirdo" sorry I know that's harsh but I really felt that way, of course when I was younger and dumb. Well as I have gotten older and wiser and really thought about this and applied this to my life man it's so true! If you try and stop all the negative thinking and switch it to positive your days will literally seem brighter. Nothing will seem like such a chore and you can take a different, better mentality to things that seem challenging and impossible. For years I listened to people that are super negative, putting down new things I wanted to try and seemingly not wanting me to succeed or do anything good in life. I didn't realize what was happening because I was totally feeding into this and I didn't know about any other mentality that I could have. But when I started to break away from people with these kinds of habits and really started doing what I wanted to do, it was like a different world! I really made the effort to surround myself with those that are doing the same thing and tried all the time to have a positive outlook and attitude about life. These kinds of people that are putting in that kind of effort always seem happy for you and really support you no matter what you are doing or want to do. I'm telling you right now this will change your life and you will love the way this feels and how your new mentality is giving you power to achieve anything you set your mind to. I'm not trying to sound like Tony Robbins but I really get sad when I see people that are caught in that mental trap. They don't feel they can do anything different and worse yet they are surrounded by people that live in fear. With that fear they put down what you are trying to do and make you think it's too hard, you can't do it, it will never happen. Believe me it's nothing but a trap. I would hear this too, even from family members. When people you care about or care about you say this they may not be being malicious but you do have to avoid letting that thinking bring you down. Once you do that then you do start to believe that you can't do it which is total garbage! Sorry if that was harsh...

Changing your habits does not happen over night but it does happen. Like with any habit that you quit it's one day at a time, one thought at a time that you can change. When this starts to become a daily thing that you don't even have to think about you will start to see new doors opening up for you and even your confidence getting better. Especially when you make the decision to change your thinking you will literally attract people that think the same and are super positive just like you. When you see people like this they CHOSE to be positive and lead happier lives. Everything in life is a choice, no one is born this way but they can get sick of their current situation and want to change it. That's what happened with me, I just got tired of being scared all the time and listening to those who are constantly negative, not supportive and all that jazz. I'm not putting those people because honestly that may not even realize they're doing it, it's hard to listen to so decide whether you're going to keep listening to it or get away from it. You may care about these people but constant dark thoughts just isn't in the recipe for moving on with your life and being happy with it.

So the point of this rant is YOU CAN DO IT. You can do anything you set your mind to, you don't have to walk all over people that are in your way just walk around them (Thank you Chalene Johnson). What that means is you don't have to hurt people to achieve your goals just scoot around them and keep your eyes on the prize. If you want to raise chickens, do it! Learn about it and do it. Whatever your are passionate about you will succeed in it no matter what anyone says. Just change your mind set and watch your world change, for the better. Not only is this good for you mentally this is good for you emotionally and physically. Your health will be so much better if you get the poisonous thoughts and let the healthy happier thoughts in! :-) Until next time....

Yours in wellness....

A Healhtier Alternative to Coffee

Ok I have something to admit. I have a coffee addiction problem. No I'm really being serious, I could drink cup after cup, pot after pot and keep going after that. I know that sounds crazy but I'm sure I'm not the only one. When this gets too out of control I tell myself "Ok time to detox and get off this!" I'll do good for a while, the headaches aren't too bad but then I smell that aroma and I feel like "Well one cup isn't bad right?" Then we're off to the races again, one cup turns into two, turns into three and so on. I have to stop! Well just when I thought I would be strung out on coffee forever I found a healthier and tastier alternative! An herbal tea concentrate that comes in many flavors and has the same effect as coffee just no jitters or headaches if you are trying to detox. The tea itself helps you detox which is awesome! Detox in good way of course and it helps your metabolism stay on fire which of course helps with getting rid of those pesky calories! What I found was best was having this in the morning which will replace your coffee of course or have it in between meals to control hunger or give you an extra energy boost in the middle of the day. This has saved me from the mid day crash so many times I can't even tell you! My energy has been improving a ton with the Cellular Nutrition and adding the tea into my daily supplement schedule. It's mixed with black, green and oolong tea for the antioxidant support and of course this naturally contains caffeine but nothing that has been enhanced chemically or that will give you the jitters like so many products out there.

I'm excited to tell people that there are different alternatives to coffee and other caffeinated drinks that will strip your body of it's natural minerals and nutrients and this can actually ENHANCE your body and it's metabolic system. I have been drinking it as long as I have been on the Core Nutrition and to me it really adds to the program just for something to drink, of course you can have this tea in cold water or in warm water which is also nice. Well off to finish my tea and until next time...

Yours in wellness....

New Fave Snack!

Well we are at Friday finally, man I swear these weeks go by faster and faster! When you're busier than heck and doing things you love I guess the time can really fly by! I'm glad most of the days I have the energy to get through the days sometimes I'm not sure though. But on those days I'm not so sure I get my second wind and thank goodness for that!

Well I have found a new favorite snack! Yes it's from Herbalife and yes it's awesome. It's their Beverage Mix that comes in the peach mango or wild berry packs. When you put this in ice cold water it's sooooo good! Tastes just like Capri Sun or Hawaiian Punch except without all the sugar of course. The best thing about it and what surprised me was it packs an extra 15 grams of protein! With this knowledge you don't have to drink the same protein supplements you can mix them up with this! What I love the most about it is you can use it as a snack in between meals whether it be the shakes or another meal that you just had. What I love to do is keep it in the refrigerator for a longer time so when I'm ready for it it's ICE cold and man that's my favorite part! What I love too like I had mentioned before is that I can switch up my snacks in between so it's not always a protein bar or always the same thing everyday. Having something that is different, tastes good and good for you is hard to find but once you do you stick with it for life!

I'm keeping this short and sweet I just wanted to tell you about the new snack I had discovered and share it with you!

Yours in wellness...

Three Weeks and Going Strong!

Well I am back for another update on how Herbalife has been treating my body and I could not be happier! Every day that I drink the Formula 1 Shake, take my formula 2 vitamin and the Formula 3 Cell Activator I can feel my body hum! It's happy and healthy and I cannot be more excited about it! Some days I switch from two shakes a day to one shake a day, a snack in between then a very healthy dinner and with that eating schedule I never feel hungry, never feel my blood sugar drop or spike and I don't get that mid day coma feeling. That was my biggest problem for years, I would have all this energy at the beginning of the day and by 2 or 3 in the afternoon I would want to take a nap, not feel like working out or just brain dead. I hated feeling like that, I would feel so let down because I would feel excited about the workout I was going to have after work then when after work came I would have NO energy at all! I had no idea why, I work out, I eat good and seemingly do everything right and my energy was still off and I just could not figure out why. I honestly think that it was an issue so deep inside my body that my cells were not nourished properly and now that they are I am singing the praises of the Cell Activator! This is the formula three in the core nutrition of Herbalife and man it's one of those things that you can feel within the first couple days after you start taking it. I have heard so many times that your health starts from the inside and works its way out and now I know that to be true. If your cells and other internal organs are not nourished properly then your body cannot function at its full potential. Now I finally can get through the day of work and workout at the end of the day to work off stress or as a way to work off aggression too!

I was also told that your hair, skin and nails will be healthier and the hair and nails will start to grow. My nails do not grow so fast and they never have but they definitely feel stronger! I can see how thick they get and I think my hair may be growing faster! That may take a little longer to notice but with the good nutrition I'm sure that is a definite benefit from eating well and of course good 'ol heart pounding exercise! I'll include pics again of the Formula 1, 2, 3 so you have a good idea. This is great nutrition that has had three decades of research behind it and I'm so excited and honored to be apart of it and doing something good for my body! Until next time...

Yours in Wellness....

I'm On Fire!

Well today has been an amazing day! I had the best, most inspirational training session I've ever had! As you well know I have just started on the Herbalife journey. With the nutrition and helping others around me take control of their nutrition and physical activity. I have been on the supplements for going on three weeks now and I have never felt better. I don't need naps during the day, I don't have the mid day crash and I just feel that my body is getting every ounce of nutrition it needs. The company also offers Success Training Seminars or STS for short every month to really educate you on the products, introduce you to other products that you may not know about that could be very beneficial and an opportunity to share this knowledge with others around you. It was from 9-3 today and I have never felt so fired up about anything in my life! I have to admit when I first got there and saw the absolute excitement from others it kinda freaked me out, okay it REALLY freaked me out. I guess I'm not an outgoing excitable person so it was new and strange to me. As the day went on I was beginning to feel the same way! I was clapping louder and louder and a couple of times I wanted to get on my feet! I had to stop myself there but man I was feeling awesome! Just the energy from the people there that had great health and wellness results, got their weight under control, diabetes under control and their blood pressure under control as well! There were people of all ages there that had the same stories, how much better they felt, how much better people around them were feeling after they had referred these health and wellness supplements to them and just the word spreading around. Now I have to be honest with you, I am pretty skeptical and I can poke holes in just about anything. With this it's pretty hard to poke holes in it, with regular people like you and me one after another telling their stories on how they took control of their health, their energy and their lives can do nothing but inspire you to do the same!

I really feel good and happy about helping others on their fitness journeys. It is so scary to see that the obesity is climbing each year and now it is starting to affect children. They are getting diabetes younger and younger and now they will not outlive their parents, that is nuts! We have the knowledge and ability to take control of our eating again and get rid of the "fourth meal" (Taco Bell, McDonald's, Wendy's etc.) and eat to feel good again. There are ways to take control of our health and live long healthy lives and pass these good habits onto our children. I feel so honored to be apart of something that allows me to do this and to share this with others who may be struggling to be healthy, struggling with different health issues or who want to be even healthier than they already are! If you have the will you have the way and that is what I learned today. If you set your mind to anything and have the support system behind you anything is possible, I learned this today and I learned this when I was on my own weight loss journey three years ago. It has been the most inspirational and I just wanted to share! Until next time...

Yours in Wellness...

What Has Me Up at Night

So you're wondering what has me up late at night? Well I just read an article about what kinds of foods are being served in restaurants and my mind was blown! Most of them had enough salt and calories to last you for two or three days! There was a dinner that was ribs that had over 6300 calories and 7600 mg of salt! I mean that is three times the salt and three times the calories you would need in one day! That is the most disturbing thing I think I have ever read, I mean people put this in their bodies for some quick meals? Man if more and more people were aware of what was going on the inside of their bodies when they eat these foods they would really think about what and how much they are eating. The same thoughts went through my head when I watched the film Food Inc. Now I'm not here to be an animals rights activist even though how they treated the animals in that film was very disturbing it was what they were injecting the animals with to "grow" them faster that really had me reeling. You have to remember what the animals eat you eat, I don't think eating hormones or antibiotics is really a food of choice for people at all! My mother always pointed out that she thought the higher frequencies of cancer in individuals was caused by the growth hormones that are being injected in animals before we eat them is causing all of our health problems today. The higher salt and fat in foods to make them taste better is not helping matters either. There are people and kids that are younger with older health problems that are going on with their bodies. I mean I have not seen so many young kids that are obese or have diabetes in my whole life. It is such a frightening thing and now these poor young kids that have to take insulin shots and be on special diets because they are already dealing with a disease that will plague them for life. This has to change! We have to be more aware of what we are putting in our bodies and what we are feeding our kids also. Now I am not trying to be on my huge soap box and preach about health because I am a health and wellness coach but I am preaching because this is very concerning for me and other people in society as well.

You would be amazed at such little changes you can make can have a huge impact on your health and how you feel from day to day. Cutting out pop is HUGE! I know many people just by cutting out pop have lost a ton of weight and feel amazing! From this they went to cutting out sugar altogether, leaned up their eating and they were on fire from there! When you start to feel amazing from getting rid of sugar from your diet then you can build from there, incorporate a fitness plan and really learn how to tighten up your eating. That's how I started just cutting out one thing that I knew I had to quit and went from there. Then I got into fitness and really focused on my eating and man I will never go back! If more and more people became aware we could once again be a healthy and active society. There's really no reason to be so unhealthy and have so many young people that have potentially life threatening ailments in their bodies. I've seen 3 year olds up to older adults with all kinds of high blood pressure, diabetes and other things they could have controlled by being more aware of their diets and exercise. We are such a computer internet driven society so there are more and more people that are sedentary and not getting up and getting out there!

A key to getting more active and just finding your exercise "soulmate". A workout routine that you just love to do and you cannot get through your day without doing it. That way it will guarantee that you will do it on a daily basis and you will be taking great care of your body and living a healthier and better quality of life. Give yourself a chance, I promise you won't regret it...

Yours in Health...

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/kfcs-double-down-is-healthy-uh-compared-to-these-meals-1366841/